Post navigation

29 thoughts on “Coupons for Church Attendance”

I see it as just another promo and, as you note, you see them all the time. Perhaps the business owners have a strong church background?
The discounts that I do not understand (common with Hair Salons and similar around here) are those like “30% off to new customers!” I see that as penalizing the existing customer base! I can well imagine a response like “I’ve been coming here once a month for the past year and have to pay full price, but somebody who has never been here before (and may never come back) is getting a 30% discount??????” Not a good business move in my opinion. 🙂

I wouldn’t be bothered by that at all. To me, that’s someone putting their money behind their cause. To the people complaining, I’d say “it’s not always about you.” I remember my father giving free games of bowling (he managed a bowling alley) for good grades on your report card.

I’m not religious myself, but this isn’t at all offensive to me. I know some people hold their religious beliefs close to their hearts and draw strength from them. I respect everyone’s views, and if a privately owned business want to have a promotion around their own system of beliefs, power to them! No one is forcing anyone to eat there.

As a believer I would not cheapen my faith by 10%. The owner is better served by offering everyone 10% off who wants to donate towards a cause in the community. Everyone wins and the critics of the spiritual are silenced. 🙂 J

I don’t see it as a big deal at all. It’s an offer, just as you mentioned; there are tons of other reasons entities, businesses, etc offer discounts. In my opinion, people will always have something to complain about.

People are too sensitive for nothing. It’s that sense of entitlement and vanity – me, me, me! They must get a life. It’s a promo. A church can run one. If at all, the church is at a disadvantage because it’s like buying faith then it’s not any better than buying votes.

I wonder if they would honor a program from any religious affiliation… a synagogue or mosque? Then the message would be a truly god-based offering, otherwise it is no more than religious dogma, perpetuating a my-way-or-the-highway point of view.

Business is business. Any excuse for the money. Macy’s does family and friends sales. If you are an employee companies give discounts. Airlines give tremendous discounts to their own. Nice provocative topic.

Those who find it offensive should stop patronizing the business. Second point, in my area, some restaurants do a booming business after church services with groups of church goes looking for a place to eat and continue their conversations – the business is just trying to cash in on a big Sunday market for food and table space. Actually a religious person could be offended by this offer as it commercializes an act of spirituality and worship.

Lastly, if a religious person wanted the discount, they could just stop by a church, ask for a program and leave. Most churches would be happy to give you one or ten. Or you could ask a member of one the church groups at the restaurant – they’d likely give you one and invite you to join them.

Actually Andrew when I first read the post I did have a slight feeling of , “my faith is not for sale or promotion.” I wasn’t thinking the angle of discrimination (as others have pointed out) at all.
I also agree that if anyone wanted the discount most churches that have sunday services (and this involves more than one religion or denomination) have bulletins in racks really close to their exits. Anyone could pick one up if they wanted the discount.

As a non-Christian, I don’t find this at all offensive. Objectively, I think it’s a practical business decision. Like others have said, businesses have all sorts of promotions to drum up business (kids under X age eat for free at a family restaurant, ladies night at a local bar, senior/student discounts, etc.).

From what I’ve seen, a lot of families go to lunch/brunch after church service on Sundays (I avoid certain places because of these wait lines). So, it makes sense that a business/restaurant would want to tap into that customer base with some sort of promotion. Also, I don’t think its promoting a specific religion nor the idea of going to church – I’m assuming the people who have gone to church earlier would have kept their programs?

Seems like a business decision to me and as such, not offensive. I will admit that there are some businesses I don’t frequent in my area because they push their religion (a big bible at the door or bible verses on banners as you walk in along with a sermon as they wait on you). As you pointed out, a lot of promotions leave out some groups. Great discussion you have going here. 🙂

I’d have to agree, that maybe these people need more going on in their lives. However, I think if the restaurant offer discounts for church goers, they should offer discounts for other reasons. I would not lose sleep over this, though. Interesting post!

Businesses offer coupons and discounts for a lot of things. If there’s a large after church crowd in their area and they want to capitalize on that market – because people are hungry after church and don’t want to cook – I guess a coupon like that is a good way to drum up business. You can be sure, if they lost business from such a coupon, they’d stop offering it!